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What’s on My Workbench? A New Double/Composite Top Classical Guitar

Wilson Burnham Guitars -

The latest guitar on my workbench is a double top, or composite top, classical guitar, Western Red Cedar top with a Nomex core that is covered with a veneer of old growth Coastal Redwood.

I used a wider cell honeycomb Nomex on this guitar to see how a lighter top will respond under string tension.


I changed up the bracing pattern for this guitar, just five struts…

…and the two outer struts pass underneath the lower transverse bar. 




I use lots of clothes pins to clamp the back linings to the sides.


I cut up an old tire inner tube to use as “rope” to glue on the back.



The top bindings went on this morning, the back bindings were glued on yesterday, the fretboard is next and then the bridge. 

If you want to read more about this guitar, go to my Substack page!

Chase Bliss is raffling off this awesome Habit Guitar for charity — here’s how you can win

Guitar.com -

Chase Bliss Habit Guitar Raffle

Chase Bliss, the maestros behind some of the most innovative guitar effects pedals, have announced a raffle that could land you the coolest axe in town – the Habit Guitar.

Read on to find out how you can win the epic instrument and contribute to a good cause at the same time.

As founder Joel Korte notes in a new video announcing the raffle, Chase Bliss are giving away the guitar to raise money for Friends, a non-profit organisation that helps young people who stutter, and one that Korte describes as “very near and dear to my heart”.

The winner of the raffle will walk away with a one-of-a-kind Bilt-made electric guitar featuring an onboard Habit delay – yes, that super fun and experimental delay pedal by Chase Bliss. And if that isn’t cool enough, the guitar is also equipped with a little amplifier in it and a speaker right in between the pickups so you can play it just like that.

“It’s so fun to have the controls and the dip switches all right there,” says Korte, adding that it’s going to be “tough” for him to give up this guitar as he’s become “very attached” to it.

As Korte explains, the founder of Friends Lee Caggiano passed away in 2023 and the fundraiser is an attempt to keep the organisation and its legacy going strong. To enter the raffle, all you have to do is 1. Donate any amount to Friends and 2. Email chaseblissdonations@gmail.com with a proof of your donation OR write a short note on how you can be an ally to those who stutter.

Anyone in the world can participate and no purchase is necessary. A winner will be selected at random and Chase Bliss will reach out to them via email after the giveaway ends on 3 April 11:59pm CT.

The post Chase Bliss is raffling off this awesome Habit Guitar for charity — here’s how you can win appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Eli Winter – “Foxglove” (Bruce Cockburn cover)

Fretboard Journal -

On April 5, 2024, our friends at Tompkins Square Records are releasing Imaginational Anthem, Vol. XIII: Songs of Bruce Cockburn.

This collection features a wide array of indie artists celebrating the music of the famed Canadian singer-songwriter. Included are tracks by Eli Winter, Bill Callahan, Matt Valentine, Luke Schneider, Jerry David DeCicca and others.

To celebrate the release of this album, we asked Eli Winter to share his arrangement of Cockburn’s “Foxglove,” the opening track on the album.

Ge the album here.

Learn more about Eli Winter here.

The post Eli Winter – “Foxglove” (Bruce Cockburn cover) first appeared on Fretboard Journal.

Luthier on Luthier: Casimi Guitars

Fretboard Journal -


Lifelong friends Mathias Roux and Matthew Rice make visually stunning and beautifully executed Casimi Guitars out of their shop in South Africa.

For episode 88 of the podcast, Mathias and Matthew discuss how they developed their visual style and the voice of their guitars. They also share their thoughts on the division of labor in the shop, their time working in Marc Maingard’s shop, planning inlays, and the pros and cons of making guitars in South Africa.

https://casimiguitars.com/

Luthier on Luthier is hosted by Michael Bashkin of Bashkin Guitars and brought to you by the Fretboard Journal. This episode is sponsored by Dream Guitars and StewMac.

Want to support Luthier on Luthier? Join our Patreon to get access to exclusive photos and content from Michael and his builds.

The post Luthier on Luthier: Casimi Guitars first appeared on Fretboard Journal.

“There is anger in our music because it’s a valid emotion” Bob Vylan on embracing the power of real amps and crafting punk with meaning

Guitar.com -

Bob Vylan, photo by Ki Price

What separates Bob Vylan from the rest of today’s punk scene is their unapologetic outspokenness and their active efforts to stick by this. Whether it be the time they called out Sleaford Mods and IDLES for not speaking up on Palestine, or challenging the BBC in their boisterous single, GDP.

Musically and lyrically, the band feel like nothing else in modern guitar music. But more than anything else it’s their continuous and unapologetic commitment to use their voices as a platform to demand change – on record, at shows and in interviews – that truly makes them such a breath of fresh air.

The duo (consisting of frontman Bobby Vylan and drummer Bobbie Vylan) have already made huge waves in the scene on the back of 2022’s Bob Vylan Presents The Price Of Life, which managed to snag Kerrang’s album of the year while also scooping the inaugural Best Alternative Act gong at the MOBOs – it speaks to their genre-crossing, community uniting message.

A key plank of Bob Vylan’s message has been a courageous and refreshing openness and and vulnerability when talking about difficult subjects – new album Humble As The Sun doubles down on this frankness.

Bobbie Vylan and Bobby Vylan, photo by Esmé Surfleet aka Esmé BonesBobbie Vylan (left) and Bobby Vylan (right). Image: Esmé Surfleet aka Esmé Bones

“There are moments [in life],” reflects Bobby Vylan. “I suppose, where we all feel somewhat hopeless in the face of everything we go through as human beings.”

Throughout the album, the duo touch upon themes of mental health, social injustice and the struggles of everyday life whilst also offering listeners a glimpse of hope. “Everybody has something that at some point, they thought was going to break them and it didn’t. I think [the album is] a case of remembering that and bringing that to the forefront,” says Vylan.

With this in mind, even with the hardships presented in the album, Humble As The Sun is a project reflective of personal growth and is a reminder to those listening to recognise your strength, even at times when you feel your weakest.

Bob Vylan performing, photo by Esmé Surfleet aka Esmé BonesImage: Esmé Surfleet aka Esmé Bones

Affirmations Of Love

This message is best seen in gritty heavy-hitter, Hunger Games, which is a track mastered by Kevin Tuffy. “There’s a spoken word part with affirmations at the end of that,” says Vylan. “[I do] affirmations with my daughter in the mirror before I take her to school. I say, repeat [after me]: ‘I’m Black, I’m beautiful. Brown skin is beautiful, my lips are beautiful, and my eyes are beautiful. I’m loved and I love.’ I do those things to instil a sense of pride and self-worth.”

Their latest single, Makes Me Violent, is an ironically, melodic offering touching upon British politics and mental health struggles. In a recent Instagram post, the duo shared more about this release and their attachment to being labelled as a band that’s “angry all the time.”

“We’re very rarely angry, but there is also anger [in our music] because it’s a valid emotion,” says Vylan. Whilst in many ways their ‘punkness’ has been able to strike a chord with a large fanbase, some parts of their outspokenness are often misunderstood. “We are many things as a band – the same way we are many things as individuals. I’m not always angry, but sometimes I am,” Vylan adds.

Bobby Vylan performing, photo by Esmé Surfleet aka Esmé BonesBobby Vylan. Image: Esmé Surfleet aka Esmé Bones

Makes Me Violent is the opposite of what you’d envision. It stands on its own two feet as a sonically written release with witty tongue-in-cheek lyricism. Outwardly looking at the band, their cut-throat lyrics, soaring chorus lines, and straight-to-the-point assertiveness are all characteristics that the band recognise. Despite this, their ‘anger’ comes from a place of passion. Although it’s a given that not everyone will understand their message, Vylan doesn’t let this discourage his work.

“I think the habit that people have of misconstruing our passion and seeing it as anger may come from a cultural disconnect, or maybe the way I communicate isn’t familiar to them,” he says. “[Makes Me Violent has] got that fight and spirit. At this point in my life, I think ‘It’s whatever,’ let [people] think what they want. It’s not my job to try and change their race-based opinions of me,” he adds.

Bob Vylan crowdsurfing, photo by Esmé Surfleet aka Esmé BonesImage: Esmé Surfleet aka Esmé Bones

Shine On…

On Humble as the Sun, the band return with a project that’s just as anti-establishment as their last, whilst simultaneously playful and empowering. In the introductory single and title track Humble as the Sun loops the lyrics, “Shine, Black man, shine.” Reflecting on a time he’s been able to unapologetically shine as a Black man in his career to date, Vylan says, “That time at the MOBO Awards.”

He continues, “I used to watch it on TV as a kid. I remember seeing So Solid Crew collect their award – that was powerful to me because I saw a Black man talking about what he was able to do, along with this group of other Black men and women who were from the UK. It made a real impact on me. So, going up there, and being able to stand there knowing that we have achieved this award of hard work and persistence. That to me, was an obvious moment where I’ve been able to shine as a Black man.”

So far the duo have unleashed blistering singles Makes Me Violent, Hunger Games, Dream Big and He’s A Man off the album. The latter is a playful toy on toxic masculinity. “Being a man can feel like quite a lonely existence,” says Vylan. In an age where suicide is one of the biggest killers for men under the age of 50 in the UK, He’s A Man is a dark, yet candid look at the societal pressures of ‘manhood’ and the sad reality of its lack of value for men’s mental health.

Expanding on what it means to be a man in his own words, Vylan says, “The complex nature of being a man is wanting to be held, covered, loved and respected, whilst wanting to appear as though you don’t need any of those things.”

He’s A Man presents itself as a place to escape and mock the societal pressures and assumptions of manhood. “I’m not sure I achieved it in the way I wanted to, but I wanted to offer an alternative to what [being] a man is. Because there’s more to it than that,” says Vylan.

Bob Vylan performing, photo by Esmé Surfleet aka Esmé BonesImage: Esmé Surfleet aka Esmé Bones

Plugging In

Unlike their lockdown project, We Live Here, which saw the duo produce and mix it entirely themselves, Humble As The Sun comes as an exciting new chapter for the duo. Experimenting with collaborations for the first time, the album is co-produced by Jonny Breakwell and features additional production from Henri Davies. It also sees the band expand their sound, with live guitar parts from their longtime friend and studio producer/writer Rex Roulette.

Talking about the vision for this project Vylan tells us, “I wanted to do certain things in this album that I didn’t do with the previous ones.”

He continues, “For example, when it comes to the guitars, I usually use audio plugins that emulate different speakers and cabs. This time around, we got into the studio and used real amps and mic’d them up. We even recorded the drums live in different-sized rooms, using different kits.”

As well as collaborations, using real guitars and real amps on the project is another series of firsts for the band. On the subject of uniting their creative vision with Breakwell, Vylan tells us, “It was interesting. He helped me put this whole thing together in a way.”

He continues, “His knowledge of microphones, mic placements, different setups for drum kits and how certain amps will sound was incredible. I have a certain level of knowledge of this because I’ve studied it and I’ve created albums before, but working with him enabled me to step away from the music. When I was mixing it and producing it myself, I would wake up at random hours in the morning to work on it. Being able to have that space and distance allowed me to sit with the songs off the record a lot more. Which enabled me to have a clearer opinion of the album.”

Over the years we’ve seen the band captivate and culminate a loyal fanbase. It’s through their unique music and enticing charisma that we continue to see their audience grow with each passing year. Shocking many as they booked festival slots at Boomtown in 2022 and TRNSMT in 2023, throughout their work, Bob Vylan continue to prove that their music extends further than the punk scene.

Bobby Vylan crowdsurfing, photo by Esmé Surfleet aka Esmé BonesBobby Vylan. Image: Esmé Surfleet aka Esmé Bones

“With this new album, I want it to serve as an entry point for a wider audience,” says Vylan. Weaving in speckles of grime, punk and drum and bass tendencies, as you make your way through the tracklist, Humble As The Sun delves into the band’s eclectic palette, whilst continuing to serve their OG audience.

Moving forward, as well as with the release of their forthcoming album, Vylan is gearing up for this festival season. “I’m excited for Primordial. When we previously played there everyone was so kind and friendly,” he says.

“That really impacts whether or not we go back. There are a couple of things we consider before returning to a festival. Firstly, whether the people are nice, and secondly, if the catering is good. We’re a foody band…”

If the food is decent enough then, you might catch Bob Vylan this summer – if you do you’ll find an earnest and authentic project that channels hope and resilience to make a unique and positive manifesto for the modern world.

Humble As The Sun is out 5 April on Ghost Theatre

The post “There is anger in our music because it’s a valid emotion” Bob Vylan on embracing the power of real amps and crafting punk with meaning appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Mooer’s new Prime S1 is the ultimate “all-in-one pedalboard” for travelling guitarists

Guitar.com -

Mooer Prime S1

Chinese audio gear company Mooer has launched the Prime S1, an “all-in-one pedalboard” offering guitar effects and tones, looping, and music production capabilities in a highly portable design.

Boasting a staggering array of 126 internal guitar effects and tone presets — all customisable and shareable via the MOOER Cloud platform — the Prime S1 offers a world of sonic exploration at your fingertips. Though what truly sets the pedal apart is its recording capabilities.

Crafting musical arrangements has never been easier, thanks to the S1’s integrated looper module which gives you up to 80 seconds of looping time. With real-time playback, loop deletion, and overdubbing functionality, users can seamlessly layer melodies and rhythms on the fly. Loops can also be recorded directly onto mobile devices via USB/OTG connection, eliminating the need for bulky studio equipment.

Players also get up to 40 synchronisable drum machines, 10 metronomes, and a tuner. Control is streamlined through four simple footswitches along with a digital LED display, ensuring a minimalist yet powerful user experience. And while app-based control might not be everyone’s cup of tea, it’s certainly something a growing number of guitar brands have been dipping their toes into in recent years (see: the Positive Grid Spark Mini and Boss Katana:Go).

Furthermore, given the focus on portability — the pedal measures just 240mm(D) by 70.2mm(W) by 31.9mm(H) and weighs a mere 350g, it makes sense that the Prime S1 is powered solely by an integrated lithium battery (no mains power supply needed). Charging is done via a USB C port, so you can charge your gear with a portable power bank, laptop, or a regular USB C charger.

While the Prime S1 primarily caters to travelling musicians, it still includes industry-standard pedal features, such as a ¼” input, stereo ¼” outputs, and an independent headphone output. Each pedal will cost you $179.

For a better idea of the Prime S1’s capabilities, check out Mooer’s demo below:

Learn more at Mooer Audio.

The post Mooer’s new Prime S1 is the ultimate “all-in-one pedalboard” for travelling guitarists appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

This guitar retains its value better than any other on Earth

Guitar.com -

Fender Player Telecaster

It’s no secret that guitars depreciate in value over time, with some holding their value better than others. But, which guitar retains its value better than any of its rivals?

Well, according to fresh research from Wood and Fire Studio, the Fender Player Telecaster tops the rankings. It took the ten best-selling electric guitars worldwide, according to Reverb.com, and ranked them in order of depreciation.

It was the Player Telecaster which topped the rankings, with an average depreciation of 31%. It’s followed in second place by another Fender model, the Stratocaster Player Series, which has only 1% more depreciation – despite being among the cheapest Fender guitars, it’s clear that they hold their value well.

Next, there are three Gibson axes to round off the top five. They are the Les Paul ‘60 and ‘50 guitars, and the Gibson SG, known for being Angus Young’s guitar of choice. In general, Gibson guitars are more expensive than Fender guitars, so there’s a greater loss of value in absolute terms, too.

Also in the top ten are two electric guitars from PRS, the Silver Sky SE and the John Mayer Silver Sky, which have depreciation of 37% and 38% respectively. Then there’s the Fender American Professional II series – the Telecaster loses an average of 38% of its value, with the Stratocaster losing 39%. Generally, Telecasters hold their value better than Stratocasters, likely because Stratocasters are easier to come by on the second-hand market.

The list is rounded off by the ESP LTD Deluxe EC-100 – its value drops by 40%. However, this might be because Reverb’s data largely comes from the US, where domestic brands have a better reputation than international ones, and ESP Guitars is Japanese.

Fender Player Telecaster deals

The post This guitar retains its value better than any other on Earth appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Gibson Brands Inc. is now just Gibson again, to reflect its “focus and objective to make the best guitars in our history”

Guitar.com -

Gibson Garage

As Gibson Brands, Inc. celebrates 130 years of being in the instrument-making business, President and CEO Cesar Gueikian has announced that the brand has returned to its original name, Gibson.

“We are in music, with instruments, sound, and media across our brands,” says Gueikian in a statement commemorating the occasion. “We are one of the most iconic companies in music. Artists have chosen us to create genres of music and continually choose Gibson and our brands.”

“As we celebrate 130 years since Orville Gibson started making instruments, I firmly believe that our best years are ahead of us. We are Gibson. Our craftspeople, our global team, our artists, and our fans, together are Gibson.”

“In line with this, and to celebrate 130 years, we have changed our name from Gibson Brands back to Gibson, consistent with our focus and objective to make the best guitars in our history.”

Gueikian’s latest statement echoes his previous comments about a need for Gibson to shift their focus back to making guitars. Last October, the executive claimed that the company’s former leaders had ‘lost focus’ of what’s at the heart of the brand, saying: “The prior ownership group had gone into consumer audio; let’s call it consumer electronics and consumer audio.”

“And that’s what led to my hypothesis of sorts, that maybe there’s an opportunity here because they’re losing focus of what makes Gibson Gibson – which is making the best guitars ever made.”

Despite the name change, Gibson remains home to a family of brands including Gibson, as well as many of the world’s most recognisable music brands including Epiphone, Kramer, Steinberger, MESA/Boogie, and the Gibson Pro Audio division, KRK Systems.

Earlier this year, the guitar giant opened the doors of its first-ever flagship store outside of the US. Featuring hundreds of electric and acoustic guitars across Gibson’s portfolio of brands, the Gibson Garage London is a space that Gueikian hopes can become a “hangout spot” for musicians of all backgrounds, abilities and styles.

Browse the latest in the Gibson lineup.

The post Gibson Brands Inc. is now just Gibson again, to reflect its “focus and objective to make the best guitars in our history” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

“My involvement is always called into question. I saw this video of somebody breaking down Heart of Glass. The guy said, ‘Here’s Chris Stein’s guitar part.’ I was like, ‘No, that’s my guitar part’”: Frank Infante on his iconic Blondie riffs and solos

Guitar World -

From One Way or Another to Atomic, the former Blondie guitarist looks back on his time with the new wave sensations: the triumphs, the turbulence, the tones, and why he always has to set the record straight on who played what

Rik Emmett says Eric Clapton’s guitar playing has a “fairly narrow palette” and “he might have ended up being a better R&B singer” than a guitarist

Guitar.com -

Eric Clapton and Rik Emmett

Former Triumph guitarist Rik Emmett has shared his thoughts on Eric Clapton’s supposedly “narrow palette” as far as his guitar playing is concerned.

Speaking with MisplacedStraws about his own guitar career and influences, Emmett says that while Slowhand might be “God” to some, the musician might actually end up “being a better R&B singer” instead.

“They go, well, ‘Eric Clapton is God’. I go, ‘well, Clapton, actually, he might’ve ended up being a better R&B singer’,” says Emmett. “His guitar playing is a fairly narrow kind of a palette, if you think of those three guys that came out of the Yardbirds, [Jeff] Beck, Clapton, [Jimmy] Page.”

“Eric was the narrowest of them all. He was the most old-school blues with a lot of stuff that was, well, okay, but come on now, that’s an Albert King lick, there’s things that he lifted that he kind of stayed with all of his career, which is not to say that he didn’t write good songs that weren’t like that. I’m not putting them down,” Emmett continues.

“What about Jimmy Page? Well, he expanded a lot more than Clapton did. Then what about Jeff Beck? Well, he expanded the most. He was the most creative of them all in terms of what he made his hands do on an electric guitar.”

The rocker also admits that all three ex-Yardbirds have to a degree inspired his style, saying “I had a little bit of all of them, the influence of all of them.”

Emmett, known for his tenure as the lead guitarist for the Canadian hard rock band from 1975 to 1988, and for notable reunions in 2008 and 2019, lent his vocal prowess to some of the group’s most iconic tracks, such as Hold On, Lay It On the Line, Magic Power, and A World of Fantasy.

As a solo artist, Emmett’s latest release was 2023’s Diamonds: The Best of the Hard Rock Years, 1990-1995.

The post Rik Emmett says Eric Clapton’s guitar playing has a “fairly narrow palette” and “he might have ended up being a better R&B singer” than a guitarist appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Mick Mars on why shredding was never his thing: “My hands just didn’t want to go that fast. Melody and tone were, to me, more fitting”

Guitar.com -

Mick Mars

Playing as fast as one can might be something many guitarists set out to achieve over the course of their guitar journey, but it certainly wasn’t the case for former Mötley Crüe axeman Mick Mars, who says that he much prefers something you can “hum” over shredding.

Asked what his favourite guitar solo was that’s written by someone else on a new episode of Ultimate Guitar’s On the Record podcast, Mars admits that he doesn’t know because he’s “got a lot”.

“There are three artists that I would have to put up there, like Johnny Winter, Michael Bloomfield, Jimi Hendrix, well, four, Jeff Beck, of course, you know. Those kinds of people were really an inspiration to me. Robert Fripp, too,” says the guitarist.

And when prompted on how evident these influences are in his own “melodic” solos, Mars replies that those are purposeful choices he made, adding: “My hands just didn’t want to go that fast. Melody and tone were, to me, more fitting, I guess. I like something that you can hum.”

“I used to hear a lot of people [at concerts] that were singing the solo, my guitar solo, and not so much the vocals. So that is what I’m talking about. You know, something you can remember, something you go like, ‘wow, oh yeah, I remember that.’ So, that’s kind of how I think.”

Also in the chat, the guitarist reflects on his first impressions of grunge music, a genre he’s witnessed the rise and fall of across his decades-long career.

“I guess that I would have to say that was another younger generation than what we were and I’m always open, whether I like it or not, I like to see where the new younger kids are taking it,” Mars says.

“That’s great to me. I mean, I like it. I might not necessarily like the music, but the progression of the music is great to see. I just enjoy hearing different ideas from young people.”

The post Mick Mars on why shredding was never his thing: “My hands just didn’t want to go that fast. Melody and tone were, to me, more fitting” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

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